Honoring Our Heroes

Lost Class Rings

Have you lost your Alliance East High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our Bulldogs lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.

Honored Military Alumni

Ronald Leroy Coker
Class of 1965
Marine Corps, 1 Years
The Congressional Medal of Honor
our Nations Highest award, for actions above and beyond the call of duty
Ronald L. Coker
24 March 1969
Mike Company 3/3
COKER, RONALD L. Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company M, 3d Battalion, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF.
Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March 1969.
Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Born: 9 August 1947, Alliance, Colo.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company M in action against enemy forces.
While serving as point man for the 2d Platoon, Pfc. Coker was leading his patrol when he encountered 5 enemy soldiers on a narrow jungle trail. Pfc. Coker's squad aggressively pursued them to a cave. As the squad neared the cave, it came under intense hostile fire, seriously wounding 1 marine and forcing the others to take cover. Observing the wounded man lying exposed to continuous enemy fire, Pfc. Coker disregarded his safety and moved across the fire-swept terrain toward his companion.
Although wounded by enemy small-arms fire, he continued to crawl across the hazardous area and skillfully threw a hand grenade into the enemy positions, suppressing the hostile fire sufficiently to enable him to reach the wounded man. As he began to drag his injured comrade toward safety, a grenade landed on the wounded marine. Unhesitatingly, Pfc. Coker grasped it with both hands and turned away from his wounded companion, but before he could dispose of the grenade it exploded. Severely wounded, but undaunted, he refused to abandon his comrade.
As he moved toward friendly lines, 2 more enemy grenades exploded near him, inflicting still further injuries. Concerned only for the safety of his comrade, Pfc. Coker, with supreme effort continued to crawl and pull the wounded marine with him. His heroic deeds inspired his fellow marines to such aggressive action that the enemy fire was suppressed sufficiently to enable others to reach him and carry him to a relatively safe area where he succumbed to his extensive wounds.
Pfc. Coker's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.

School News

Our Alliance East High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our Alliance East High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Alliance are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!